A true sportsman’s life was celebrated on Friday, January 15 with an array of old Manorbier football legends and community families/individuals paying their respects with an applause with the passing from this world from a long battle with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease of Owen Monaghan on December 21 and was laid to rest at St James Church in Manorbier.

Owen arrived in Pembrokeshire in the late 70s when he was working on the Texaco Refinery as a steel fixer and he instantly fell in love with the place and subsequently relocated his wife Angela and their five children to Manorbier, that their home for many years to come.

Born and raised in Liverpool, Owen was a keen fitness enthusiast and sportsman with football being his primary sport that he excelled in, playing for teams such as semi-pro outfit New Brighton Football Club (based in North Wales) and the Peacock Football Club that was managed by Dixie Baines (the grandfather of Everton and England left back Leighton Baines), pictured below, along with the Cherryfield Football Club both based in Liverpool.

When Owen moved to Manorbier, he became involved with the Manorbier AFC team which became an important part of his life with him having an impact on both the Manorbier junior and senior teams.

As well as playing he became a manager and also was instrumental in developing youth players from the community and giving them an opportunity to funnel through into the adult squads of the club.

Being a sport mad individual and father, he also made sure his eldest son Ian continued his boxing journey from Tower Hill ABC (Liverpool) to Pembroke ABC, being trained by Roy Witts and Graham Brockway and thus resulted in Ian becoming Welsh Champion alongside the late Stevie Burton and local Manorbier boy, Chris ‘Chalky’ Izzard, as well as getting to the quarter finals of the British Championship in Coventry.

His youngest son, Owen, also became involved with Pembroke ABC being trained by the legendary local Ralph Gammar and the late Eric Pennington alongside ex British champion Scott Gammar and ex professional boxer Henry Jones.

Given the Liverpool connection, there was plenty of scouse representation in the Manorbier squads with the likes of Phil Keaton, Mo Kershaw, Tony Beyga, Joe Kelly (Jnr and Snr), Kenny Sutton, Joey Lyndon, Gary McKeown playing alongside the likes of Phil Scales, Mark Meyrick, Terry O’Donell, Rob and John Izzard, Roger Randles, Daryl Hooper and so many more great players that is too much to mention.

Looking through old newspaper articles, there are two that stick out showing what football meant to Owen along with his ability on the field, taken from the Observer.

From an Observer headline ‘Manorbier get Seven’ from December 14, sometime in the 1980s, a paragraph showcases just how much football meant to Owen:?“In fact, these two produced a memorable moment to cherish between them. Late in the second half the ball broke free in the Kilgetty area and Monaghan and Lyndon could be seeing pushing one and another out of the way to gain possession for the first crack of goal. Needless to say, Monaghan won, age before beauty!”

From an Observer headline ‘Mixed Fortunes’ - “Goals came from Steven Teer who seems to be finding good form and two - one is a spectacular overhead kick – reminiscent of Denis Law in his prime – from Manorbiers’ old war-horse, Owen Monaghan He’s the leading goal scorer for the club this year.”

Owen, over the years, commonly hailed in the papers as the Silver Fox in the box, finished his goalscoring 11 a side playing career at the age of 62 and was aged 65 when he stopped playing five-a-side at Tenby leisure centre.

During these football years he also played cricket for a number of years for Manorbier during the summer seasons and thoroughly enjoyed his time playing this new sport with the likes of Phil Kidney, Rob Thomas, Shaun Lees and Mervyn John.

Given this was a brand-new sport for Owen, his natural ability in sports shone through allowing him to be a regular player in the squad for a number of years.

Once his football came to an end, he carried on supporting the club both at the field and in the Castle Inn and Swanlake Inn drinking with the team right up until he became too ill to watch the games.

He was also an avid and talented pool player and represented both the Castle Inn and Swanlake Inn in their league teams over the last 40 years!

Once he finished his footballing playing days, he needed another sport in his life to fill that void of years of football and cricket on weekends and so was persuaded by his son to start up golf and so began his journey at Tenby golf course for many happy years to come and typical of Owen, he began playing almost daily and sometimes twice a day in the summer and before you know it, he has got a hole in one and starts winning trophies with the high-profile seniors.

He seen this as a great privilege and followed them everywhere around Wales and at times to Ireland on the popular away days, something he was very used to during his football days.

He always talked to his youngest son, Owen, about the impact his golfing mentor had on him in learning the game of golf from a man he used to admire greatly and play with on a regular basis, the late Sonny Perkins.

He had created many new friendships at the golf club, and he was very proud to represent Tenby Golf Club as a fully-fledged senior member, again both on the course and off in the 19th hole!

A true sportsman in every sense, always trying new sports, giving his all to become a better player and embracing the social side as any true sportsman knows, is what it’s all about!

Owen will be sorely missed by his family, friends and fellow sporting peers over the years in both Liverpool and Wales. Rest in peace, Slip Monaghan!